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The Best Luxury Hotels
Park Hyatt Villa Magna, Madrid (tel. 800/633-7313 or 91-587-12-34; www.madrid.hyatt.com): Although it looks like a House of Parliament, this elegant hotel is regal and sedate, giving off the aura of a country estate. Fine furnishings, beautiful linen, and such designer toiletries as fragrant Maja soaps can be found in the exquisite guest rooms. The hotel is surrounded by beautiful gardens.
The Westin Palace, Madrid (tel. 888/625-4988 or 91-360-80-00; www.palacemadrid.com): Flawless service is the hallmark of Madrid's most distinguished hotel. Guest rooms contain antiques, gracious marble bathrooms, and elegant detailing. This Edwardian grand hotel is more relaxed than it once was, the old haughtiness of former management gone with the wind -- it long ago rescinded its policy of not allowing movie stars as guests. You still may have to wear a coat and tie, however.
Hotel Alfonso XIII, Seville (tel. 800/221-2340 or 95-491-70-00): The royal family stayed here when the Infanta Elena, daughter of Juan Carlos, married in Seville in 1995. Built to house visitors for the Iberoamerican Exposition of 1929, this grand hotel features Moorish-style rooms with doors opening onto small balconies; they overlook a Spanish courtyard with a bubbling fountain and potted palms. Set in front of the city's fabled Alcázar, the Alfonso XIII is one of Spain's most legendary hotels.
Hotel La Bobadilla, Loja (tel. 95-832-18-61; www.barcelolabobadilla.com): The most luxurious retreat in the south of Spain, this secluded oasis lies in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, an hour's drive northeast of Málaga. Whitewashed casas (small individual villas) cluster around a tower and a church. Each individually designed casa is complete with roof terrace and balcony overlooking olive groves. Guests live in luxury within the private compound of 708 hectares (1,749 acres).
Marbella Club, Marbella (tel. 95-282-22-11; www.marbellaclub.com): Built during the Golden Age of the Costa del Sol (the 1950s), this bastion of chic is composed of ecologically conscious clusters of garden pavilions, bungalows, and small-scale annexes. The luxurious rooms are modeled after those displayed in a European design magazine. The Marbella Club has many competitors but remains an elite retreat.
Puente Romano, Marbella (tel. 800/448-8355 or 95-282-09-00; www.puenteromano.com): On manicured and landscaped grounds facing the beach, Puente Romano evokes a highly stylized Andalusian village. Exotic bird life flutters through lush gardens planted with banana trees and other vegetation. Villas are spacious and beautifully outfitted with tasteful wood furnishings, big mirrors, and marble floors and bathrooms. During summer, flamenco dancers entertain here.
Hotel Palace, Barcelona (tel. 93-510-11-30; www.rtizbcn.com): A 1919 grand luxe hotel, this is one of the finest hotels in Spain, if not in all of Europe. Guests are treated to dazzling elegance, with all the gilt, marble, and fresh flowers you would ever want. Classic Belle Epoque detailing extends to the plush guest quarters, many of which have high, ornate ceilings and gold bathroom fixtures.
Hotel María Cristina, San Sebastián (tel. 800/221-2340 or 94-343-76-00; www.westin.com): One of the country's great Belle Epoque treasures, this old-world seafront hotel has sheltered discriminating guests since 1912. Oriental rugs, antiques, potted palms, high ceilings, formal lounges, marble pillars, and marble floors show off a turn-of-the-20th-century glamour. The guest rooms are traditional in style, with wood furnishings and tasteful pastel fabrics. Nothing else in the Basque country quite measures up to this old charmer.
La Residencia, Deià, Majorca (tel. 97-163-90-11): Set amid 12 hectares (30 acres) of citrus and olive groves, this tranquil hotel was converted from two Renaissance-era manor houses. Jasmine-scented terraces open onto panoramas of surrounding villages and mountains. Pampered guests are served a creative cuisine that features local produce. Leisure facilities include a swimming pool fed by mountain spring water. Many of the guest rooms have regal four-poster beds. The hotel is a haven from the rest of overcrowded Majorca.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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